The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 02, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 28, 1997
Richard P Burlingame, Manitowoc, WI (US);
James R Millis, Kohler, WI (US);
Fernando Sanchez-Riera, Manitowoc, WI (US);
Thomas F Blackburn, Chesterfield, MO (US);
Alan D Grund, Manitowoc, WI (US);
Novus International, St. Louis, MO (US);
Abstract
Enzymes derived from the isolated and substantially purified microorganisms of the present invention, designated herein as strains 52 and 56wt, are capable of hydrating nitriles such as 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanenitrile (HMB-nitrile) to their corresponding amides, and further, of hydrolyzing amides such as 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butaneamide (HMB-amide) to their corresponding carboxylic acids. Advantageously, the nitrile hydratase of these strains is not substantially inhibited by the .alpha.-hydroxybutyramide product being formed; rather, this enzyme maintains the ability to hydrate an .alpha.-hydroxybutyronitrile to its corresponding amide even at high amide concentrations, including at saturating amide conditions. As such, enzymes derived from strains 52 and 56wt are particularly suited for commercial use in preparing agrichemical intermediates such as HMB-amide. HMB-amide may, in turn, be hydrolyzed through traditional or enzymatic conversion methods to form HMB-acid or salts thereof, which are useful as methionine substitutes in feeds for domestic animals.